Camping to Glamping: Staying Outdoors Without the Hassle

6/18/2015

Camping isn’t for everyone. The idea may sound relaxing and fun, but the execution can be a little rough. Sleeping on the hard ground in a little sleeping bag, anyone? Luckily, a new trend in camping brings all of the comforts of home to the outdoors. Welcome to glamping!

Glamping is the combination of glamorous living and camping, and it’s making waves in the camping world. Find out how you can go glamping this summer and take the “rough” out of roughing-it.

1. It Matters Where You Sleep

Sleep is sometimes the one thing that you don’t get enough of while you camp. Make your tent feel more at home by bringing an air mattress, or air bed, and a portable, fold-up frame to lift your bed up off the ground. Give yourself a fancy feeling by using real sheets, linens, comforters, quilts, and throw pillows. You want to feel as comfortable and safe as possible, and a bed just like the one from home can help you get there.

2. Set the Ambiance

Don’t just use boring flashlights when it gets dark! Consider battery operated candles and lights to create a warm atmosphere inside and outside your tent. You can hang Christmas lights from the ceiling of your tent to create a soft glow. Mason jars painted with glow-in-the-dark paint can also set a fun atmosphere for kids! Use multiple forms of lighting to create your perfect home-away-from-home, inside and outside the tent.

3. Decorate

Nothing feels more like home than your personal stuff! Bring items like small end tables to place next to your bed and other knick-knacks to set on them. Consider investing in fancy-looking, light-weight chairs like butterfly chairs, bamboo folding chairs, or directors chairs.

4. Bring a Floor

Camping can bring about thoughts of dirt, bugs, and other unsightly “outdoorsy” things. To make the floor of your tent feel a little less earthy, use a large rug, or a few small rugs to cover it up! Investing in foam floor tiles, like the ones you see in a kindergarten classroom, can add extra comfort to the hard ground. Or, go all out and buy faux wood sheet vinyl from a home improvement store to really class up a tent.

5. Think Convenience

Camping can be stressful enough, but the idea of taking a tinkle in the woods and trying to cook your own food over a campfire can turn it into a nightmare. To save your sanity, try camping close to restaurants to eliminate the amount of cooking necessary during your trip. Also, try to find campsites close to working showers and toilets for fast and convenient hygiene.

6. Stick to Your Routine

Keep your stress levels low by allowing yourself to stick close to the normal things you do throughout the day. If you have a coffee every morning, invest in single-serving packets of instant coffee or tea. If you want to take a stab at cooking, try making breakfast like these easy orange rolls in oranges.

7. Keep the Pests Away

Bugs can be some campers’ worst nightmare. Add sage to your campfire to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away during the day. The sage can also add a great smell to your surroundings.

8. Make it Simple

If glamping is your first time camping, take it easy on yourself. You don’t need to be an outdoorsman, or outdoorswoman, to successfully camp. Make starting a fire easier by making easy fire starters with cotton pads dipped in wax.

9. Prepare Ahead of Time

Get yourself pumped to go glamping with some simple preparation! If you have food you need to keep cold, freeze gallon jugs of water and place them in your cooler. Freezing as much food as possible beforehand can also help to keep your refrigerated food cool as well.

10. Stay Comfortable

Whether you’re camping during the heat of the summer, or as the leaves begin to change in the fall, prepare yourself for whatever Mother Nature can bring. Bring a battery operated heater or air conditioner to keep you feeling good in your tent all night long.

11. Leave It to the Professionals

Love the idea of being out in the woods but you don’t want to worry about any of the details? No problem. If you want to take glamping to its highest level you can always rent from a glamping camp. Yes, a glamping camp. Check out one of the luxury camping experiences in your area.

With summer trips around the corner this is a great time to try glamping! Even if you’ve never camped before, these helpful tips can get you started on your very first glamping experience. You don’t have to love everything about the great outdoors! Just enjoy camping your way.

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